Post by The_Strange_Stranger in Fanart Thread!

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The truth is that a neurological condition, bad eyesight and lack of extensive practice since I was a young boy have all caused my already non-existent artistic capabilities to atrophy even further. However, since part of my training requires me to learn how to sketch various objects, I very recently started practicing, and I decided to try sketching Mezz. Again, I am fully aware that this is sub-novice level, but I still wanted to share it. Also, I don't have any colouring utensils at this moment, not that it would help.

bitshiftgames146 days ago

Aw, love it! Hey, you should see what my stuff looked when I first started trying to draw. It's not ALL about persistence, talent sure helps, but you gain a LOT by just doing, over and over. But I'll say what I always do: making something takes time and effort, and if anyone feels strongly enough about my stuff that it makes them want to make something, I'm honored. Now in terms of development, only you can say whether you want to go after drawing specifically; I recently turned down a nice guitar because I just didn't have the time to get into music. But if you do want to, I'd definitely encourage it. Speaking as someone who's definitely NOT talented, it's a lot of work, it's a struggle, but man is it satisfying when a little something comes together and you go "wow, I drew that?"

May I ask what training? Something to help with the condition?

The_Strange_Stranger146 days ago (4 edits) (+1)

I'm in school for digital forensics, and I learned that while there are sometimes technicians who will collect digital media for the examiner, there will also be times where I am required to actually come out and collect the items from a scene. From what I'm learning so far, a lot of agencies and departments require a sketch to be made for each evidence item, alongside photographs, videos, and written documentation. Of course, I haven't even interned, yet, so all my understanding is strictly academic and not necessarily based on how it's actually done.

Oh yeah, practice definitely makes a difference, as I could sketch some decently complex characters back when I did it every week; still not top notch, but I could reasonably sketch characters like Aang, Pain (Deva Path), Cosmo, so on. I definitely did feel proud when I made anything recognizable, and not fevered drawings.

bitshiftgames146 days ago

Oooh, so it's part of the forensics stuff, that makes sense. Well excellent, and again, thanks for the piece! Always glad to have new art.

bunnybunnybun144 days ago(+1)

Everyone starts somewhere. and hey. A philosophy I have is, if you can recognize who the character is in fanart, then it's good fanart

The_Strange_Stranger144 days ago(+1)

That means a lot, thank you.

I still think my attempt was pretty low quality, but you're right, the fact it is distinguishable as a specific character and not a random furry rabbit does show I improved in some capacity.

The_Strange_Stranger56 days ago(+1)

I recently got my tablet, and I attempted some more fanart, specifically of Mahir in a specific scene. As you can see, my lines are still incredibly unstable. Also, yes, Mahir is merely a floating head in this one, as I find bodies and clothing still somewhat difficult to draw.

bitshiftgames56 days ago

Oh hey, here I am replying to your other message and you've already started! Nice! Don't worry about the wobbliness, that's something everyone struggles with at first, on any media, and tablets are especially bad because they're like trying to draw on glass. I actually tape a sheet of paper to mine (just painters tape, so it doesn't leave a sticky mess) so I can get some friction. There are also smoothing/stability settings in a lot of software, but beware of cranking those too high: you lose the ability to make fine motions you WANT to make. It's like how people with botox are so tightened up they can't frown anymore. TLDR: a little wobble is due to tablet/software, and you should tweak the settings to try to get rid of that, but the rest is due to hand, and will fade with practice. A good way to test is doing quick, sweeping arc lines or "straight" lines, just a really quick motion across the tablet. If the line is smooth in the art program, all is good. If it's still all over the place, that's jitter, and you should try to adjust settings until that goes away.

I'm sure you'll figure this out on your own too, but if you aren't already, put your lineart on a layer above your colors; that way you can color INTO the lineart, but you'll be beneath it, so you'll get a nice clean meet of line and color without the little gaps, and you won't have to worry about super precise or overrunning your lines. I kinda dig the rough style this one has though.

And floating heads are great! That's what I started with for a long time. They're simple enough to not be frustrating, but there's enough there to have fun with, and even to practice turning stuff in 3d, getting volume and depth, all kinds of stuff. They're a good starting point.

The_Strange_Stranger36 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Got some more practice in, although this one took me a while due to various factors of life. I still haven't graduated beyond headshots, really, but I'm working my way up the comfort ladder. Also, I didn't know if he had piercings on both ears, so I apologize if this is inaccurate.

PS: He's supposed to look uneasy/tense.

EDIT: Damn it, I forgot his freckles; also, I like adding whiskers.

bitshiftgames36 days ago

Oh hey, not bad! And no worries, you got it right; I guess there's no "official" pic of the other side since I have him turned in his only art thus far, but that's about what I was thinking for the piercings, yeah. Good dynamic angle too!

The_Strange_Stranger36 days ago(+1)

Yeah, I wasn't trying to assume, but he kind of struck me as favoring asymmetry for his piercings; that, or he didn't have enough piercings. Personally, I don't like having piercings, but I appreciate interesting placement and design on other people or on fictional characters.

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